For many women, when Angelina Jolie revealed in the spring that she had her breasts removed after discovering she had the breast cancer gene it came as a wake-up call.

Since the news, area hospitals have seen a surge in requests from women seeking genetic testing to determine their breast cancer risk.

"There was already an uptick before Angelina Jolie, but having this woman, who’s such a public figure and the epitome of beauty, say she’s not going to let her boobs define who she is, helped encourage a lot of women who were scared or reluctant to think about this, to take control of their health and talk with someone,"

The testing looks for genes identified as BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 that mark an increased risk of developing breast cancer, up to 50 to 80 percent. The results of these tests are used to determine treatment options in atients already diagnosed with breast cancer and to help those not yet diagnosed with cancer to consider preventative treatment options.

Genetic testing, which has become a more widespread practice in local hospitals over the past five years, is also becoming more affordable – thanks to a Supreme Court ruling creating competition among labs that perform the testing, and more widespread insurance coverage.

"Angelina Jolie and the Supreme Court ruling have changed people’s not only comfort and knowledge, but also the accessibility," said Kendra Tatusko, a genetic counselor for UMass Memorial Medical Center who works at Marlborough Hospital.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the spring that the human genome couldn’t be patented, essentially opening up competition in genetic testing. Previously, a lab called Myriad Genetics was performing nearly all of the testing in the country.

"It had certainly been an issue. With no competitors they could make the price," Tatusko said. "There are cheaper alternatives now and more labs that different insurance companies may cover."

Getting coverage for the testing continues to be a challenge for some patients, but local cancer care providers said it is becoming more widely accepted by insurance companies.

In talking with insurance companies, Linda Belleville, the director of the cancer center at MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham, said genetic testing is becoming an easier sell.

"More and more we look at health care as preventative," Bellville said. "We say, ‘look, I’m going to prevent cancer for a patient.’ The cost savings of that is huge. And it’s better for patient care."

To receive genetic testing, patients must first be referred to a genetic counselor. Patients diagnosed with cancer are often referred, but more and more undiagnosed women are requesting a referral based on their family history.

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A genetic counselor will review the patient’s family history and either refer a patient for testing or not.

Dr. Huma Rana, a geneticist at Milford Region Medical Center, said she looks for several indicators of a genetic predisposition to cancer, including a family history of early onset cancer, more than one cancer in the same person and multiple family members having the same type of cancer.

If the test comes back positive, many forms of preventative treatments are considered, ranging from increased screening to preventative surgeries such as a double mastectomy.

"This testing is very informative for the patient," said Bellville.

She and others said communication with the patient is key following the results of the testing. "For a woman who knows there’s a family history of breast cancer, there’s almost a sense of there’s something I can do about this rather than waiting. … That’s huge."

Stefanie Carver, a 30-year-old woman from Hopkinton being treated at Milford Regional Medical Center, received genetic testing after being diagnosed with cancer in March.

"Since I’m so young, there’s a good chance I’d get it in the future (if I had the gene)," Carver said.

Carver, the first in her family to have breast cancer, said she never thought about getting tested before. It was one of the first things her doctor told her to do following her diagnosis, though, because it affected whether her treatment would be radiation or surgery. She tested negative for the gene, received chemotherapy and a lumpectomy and was pronounced cancer-free in September.

"I’m glad it’s an option," said Carver. "It’s like a weight off my shoulders."

Most doctors noted patients tend to be happier following the testing – no matter the results.

"I think there may be this misconception that individuals undergo surgeries without much evaluation," said Rana. "Patients give this a lot of thought and bring their personal and family experiences to the table when making this decision."

Healy said the most important thing is that patients make a prepared decision after meeting with a surgeon and a plastic surgeon.

"I think in the moment there may be some question – the surgery isn’t simple and the recovery is obviously daunting – but looking at longer term, people are quite confident in the decision they’ve made," said Healy.

Lindsay Corcoran can be reached at 508-634-7582 or lcorcoran@wickedlocal.com. Follow her on Twitter